CHOCOLATE FOR BREAKFAST BECAUSE I CAN'T ADULT TODAY.

I don't care that I just did a muffin recipe.  We had bananas that were turning a shade that started to make me nervous and I didn't have the heart to throw them away.  Also, I wanted the excuse to have chocolate for breakfast.

ALSO IT'S MY BIRTHDAY SO I DON'T CARE.

Recipe #16: Banana Bread Dark Chocolate Chip Muffins

Choice of libation: Coffee.  With cream. And by "cream" I mean Bailey's.

Choice of music: Rhiannon Giddens is a current obsession of mine.  She is the lead singer of the Carolina Chocolate Drops and she just dropped a solo album, "Tomorrow is My Turn."  It is blues, gospel, folk and all heart.  I can't stop listening. Here's my favorite track from it...

She's so good in concert.  Get your tickets ASAP if she tours through...

Oh, you know. Just some calcium (butter) and protein (eggs).  Super healthy.  

(also an entire cup of granulated sugar)

But see? There's bananas, too!  

And dark chocolate with all those antioxidants!  Everybody:

"IT'S PRACTICALLY A SALAD!"

I couldn't find my loaf pan. So.

And of course I had to wait while these baked in the oven.  I should mention not to make these on an empty stomach.  Otherwise you will do what I did and pass the time by snacking on the rest of the chocolate chips in the bag.

You tell 'em, Ethel.

But after 35 excruciating minutes, this gooey deliciousness happened.  So so easy and highly highly highly recommended. I promise you, you won't want anything else for breakfast.  Except probably a nap after.  I can't think of any better way to celebrate turning 25.  Or whatever.

stolen from glitterinc.com

1 cup granulated sugar

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 large eggs

3 – 4 ripe bananas

1 tablespoon milk (any fat content)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ – 1 teaspoon salt (I stick with a ½.)

½ – 1 cup milk chocolate chips (depending on how chocolatey you want your bread)

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.  Butter (or spray with baking spray) a 9 x 5  or 10 x 5 inch loaf pan (or a muffin tin!).

2.  Cream the sugar and butter together in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

3.  In a small bowl, mash the bananas with a fork.  Mix in the milk and cinnamon.  In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

4.  Add the banana mixture to the creamed mixture and stir until combined. Add dry ingredients, mixing just until flour disappears.  Then toss in your chocolate chips and mix one more time.

5.  Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 1 hour (32 minutes, if you used a muffin tin), until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (add ten minutes if the center still seems a bit raw).  Set aside to cool on a rack for 15 minutes.  Remove bread from pan, flip over onto rack and cool completely before slicing.

Menu-don't? You're missing out...

Now that you have this image seared into your brain forever, I figure you can get over the fact that it's been over a month since I've posted.  Also. I'm sorry.

There is an actual reason for posting this picture of a Menudo album cover with my headshot terribly pasted onto the lead singer's face.  I can't remember the first one. But the second reason is because I made menudo.  For those of you who don't know, menudo is not just a Puerto Rican boy band formed in the 70's, leading to two feature films, Una Aventura Llamada Menudo and Menudo: La Pelicula, it is also a Filipino stew that I grew up eating.  I decided to attempt something similar to my Dad's recipe with the confidence of a young Mario Lopez (who was not in Menudo, but did have the pre-requisite hair style).

Recipe #15: Menudo (not that one, the other one)

Choice of libation: There is a Ricky Martin cocktail that consists of Midori, Orange Stolichnaya, Pina Colada mix and honey dew.  That sounded disgusting. So I just had a beer.

Choice of music: Duh.  I'm a leave this here, though...

                                        

Those moves! That hair!

I made this on a weirdly rainy (for June) day when I just wanted to taste comfort and home.  The tang of the tomato and raisins, the kick from the ginger...This totally does it for me.

stolen from myfilipinorecipes.com

2 lbs pork loin or shoulder; 

cut in about 1/2-inch cubes

1/2 lb pork or beef liver; (I skipped this, because I've always found liver to be gross) 

sliced in about 1/2-inch cubes

1 potato diced (fry in 3 minutes)

1 carrot diced (fry in 3 minutes)

1 onion chopped

4 cloves garlic minced

3 tbsp ginger minced

1 small tomato; chopped

1/3 cup raisins

1/4 cup chickpeas

1 can tomato sauce

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 tablespoon ground black pepper

1 calamasi or vinegar

Cooking oil

Marinate pork in soy sauce, calamansi, and ground black pepper for 1 hour.

Boil liver, drain, and set aside.

Sauté garlic, onion, and tomato. Add marinated pork, then continue sautéing until all liquid has evaporated and meat starts to render fat.

Add tomato sauce and simmer for 15 minutes. Add liver, potato, carrot, and raisins. Continue cooking in medium fire for 5 minutes or until cooked.

Season with little sugar, if desired, according to taste. Serve and enjoy!